New data from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) shows that community pharmacies dispensed 1.19 billion prescription items in 2025-26. This is a 2.5 per cent increase from 2024/2025.

The figures come from the NHSBSA's General Pharmaceutical Services report, which outlines the services provided by community pharmacies and appliance contractors in England over the last ten years, along with their associated costs.

Community pharmacies across England dispensed 1.19 billion prescription items in 2025/26, representing a 2.5% increase from 2024/25. This number has trended upwards for the last five years. In 2024/25, 1.16 billion prescription items were dispensed.

The 1.19 billion items dispensed by community pharmacies in 2025/26 is 17 per cent higher than the 1.02 billion items dispensed in 2016/17.

The cost of drugs and appliances reimbursed to community pharmacies and appliance contractors totalled £10.8 billion, a 3.5% increase from 2024/25.

There were 108,000 items dispensed per contractor by community pharmacies on average, excluding items dispensed following a Pharmacy First consultation. 2.49 million items were dispensed by community pharmacies following a Pharmacy First Service consultation, this is an increase of 32 per cent from 2024/25.